English as an Additional Language

What is EAL?

EAL stands for "English as an Additional Language".

Many pupils in our school have their own native language and learn English as a second language at school. Children with English as an Additional Language may participate in an additional language support program which is based on the Primary School Curriculum, to improve their English.

Objective of the Language Support Programme

‘The principal objective of the language support programme is to integrate the pupil as quickly as possible into all mainstream learning and activities of the school’.

Up and Away p. 20

Role of the Language Support Teacher

To promote the pupil’s development of English language proficiency in order that he/she can gradually gain access to the curriculum.

To deliver a language programme which is based on the primary curriculum to prepare and support the child in :

(Up and Away p. 5)

Curriculum Framework for Language Support

The curriculum framework for language support is based entirely on the language needs of the primary

curriculum. These are specified as the English Language Proficiency Benchmarks for non-English speaking pupils at primary level.

They consist of thirteen units of workwhich represent the strands of the primary curriculum.

1. Myself

2. Our school

3. Food and clothes

4. Colours, shapes and opposites

5. People who help us

6. Weather

7. Transport and travel

8. Seasons, holidays and festivals

9. The local and wider community

10. Time

11. People and places in other areas

12. Animals and plants

13. Caring for my locality

For more information on the Language Support Programme please refer to the following links